standardized testing

The results of this year’s Common Core related standardized tests show scores for New York’s school children inching up. Around one fifth of the children boycotted the tests altogether, due to continued controversy over the Common Core learning standards.

This summer, I returned to New York to take the job of State Education Commissioner. I was born, raised, and began my career here as a social studies teacher before moving to Florida in 1986. While in Florida, I continued teaching before moving onto administrative roles. I eventually became a school district superintendent.

A new school year is starting soon, and education officials say they will try to reverse a growing movement of parents having their children opt out of standardized tests. The boycott could jeopardize a new system of teacher evaluations that are based on the exams and were supposed to begin later this fall.

The debates over standardized testing, teacher evaluations and opting out of the tests by students with the backing of their parents were all renewed recently as New York released the results of the math and English language exams for grades three through eight. In April, 20 percent of students opted out of the exams and of those who did take the tests, just over 38 percent were proficient in math and just over 31 percent in English. WAMC's Brian Shields spoke with the executive director of the New York State School Boards Association, Tim Kremer, about the test results.

Connecticut high school juniors may no longer have to take a controversial standardized test. Earlier this week the Senate voted 33-3 to relieve 11th-graders from having to take Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium test. Instead, they'd take a nationally recognized college readiness exam, such as the SAT.

Another Common Core forum is taking place tonight as parents and community members are invited to attend a gathering at Albany High.

Common Core is a national set of standards that most states, including New York, have adopted, establishing benchmarks for what students should know in math and English by the end of each grade, K through 12.